FBI paid more than $1.3 million for San Bernardino iPhone hack

Whilst the encryption-focused brouhaha between Apple and the Federal Bureau of Investigation isn’t slightly over, it’s no less than simmered for the time being. And now we would possibly know the way a lot the FBI paid to free up an iPhone on the middle of the problem.

That turns out like some huge cash for a device that doesn’t paintings at the iPhone 5s or more recent, however talking on the Aspen Safety Discussion board in London nowadays, the Director stated that he believes it used to be value it. And naturally the FBI will have the ability to use the software in different case involving older iPhones.

For many who haven’t been following the tale, the FBI gained a courtroom order to drive Apple to lend a hand them unencumber an iPhone 5c belonging to one of the crucial shooters of ultimate yr’s San Bernardino assaults. Apple refused the order, sparking a top profile debate on encryption and consumer privateness.

In March, the FBI introduced that it had damaged into the telephone and withdrew its case towards Apple. It’s believed that the Bureau won lend a hand from the Israeli-based company Cellebrite, and in response to Comey’s feedback lately, the bounty is likely one of the best possible ever publicized for hacking.

Whilst this doesn’t essentially ascertain whether or not or now not Cellebrite had anything else to do with unlocking the iPhone 5c, because the $15,000 the company paid to the corporate may well be a part of that quantity, it does no less than articulate that the FBI needed to pass above and past Cellebrite’s functions to get the process completed.